Your Cat May Just Be Plotting Your Death

They may look all cuddly and innocent, but your favorite felines could be harboring some ferocious instincts.

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and the Bronx Zoo in New York led a joint study to compare the average house cat — that's your little Chairman Meow — to the big cats you find out in the wild, such as African lions, wildcats and leopards.

They evaluated 100 shelter cats in Scotland along with animals from the zoo, and found that domestic cats share similar personality traits with wild cats, including aggressiveness and dominance. The study also found domestic cats are often anxious, tense and fearful of people. The main thing that may be keeping their natural viscousness in check? Their small size.

Now, armed with this nugget, the Internet (or perhaps it's just #TeamDog) is convinced that this means your cat is plotting your untimely demise.

But don't worry just yet. Marieke Gartner, who was involved in the study, told CNET that it's a "pretty far stretch" to suggest that cats' aggressiveness translates to wanting to kill their owners. "Cats don't want to bump you off, but people often don't know how to treat them and then are surprised by their behavior," she says.

So as long as you keep Kitty Purry showered with catnip and whiskers deep in Fancy Feast, you should probably be safe.

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